Beaming Prince and Princess of Wales are sign of royal harmony
What a difference a year makes.
A Commonwealth Day service, led by the smiling King, with the Princess of Wales back where she belongs at the heart of the family.
It was 12 months ago that Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales stood side by side for a Westminster Abbey service notable for its absences.
The King and Princess were missing, having both received a diagnosis of cancer. Their family rallied as best they could without them but could not help showing the strain.
On Monday, as the four senior members of the Royal family stepped in sync in procession through the abbey, there was no mistaking the change of mood.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were beaming, talking animatedly with one another and leaning in to share their thoughts on the ceremony.
The Queen greeted them both with a double kiss; the King warmly embracing his elder son as they took their positions.
Not now the unedifying debate over who should walk where. The memory of the Sussexes’ attendance in 2020 – in which they did not walk in procession, having left the working Royal family, and the then Cambridges agreed to count themselves out, too – was long forgotten.
Instead, the picture was of a harmonious family in a well-practiced step.
The Princess, dressed in a vivid red dress by Catherine Walker and hat by Gina Foster, co-ordinated with the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, also top to toe in red, and the cassocks dotted throughout the Abbey.
The nod to Canadian colours would not have gone unnoticed in the country, where the King is sovereign and the UK Government’s focus on American allies has caused some recent concern as President Trump threatens to annex it.
Midway through the service, the abbey congregation chanted: “We affirm our belief in the Commonwealth as a powerful influence for good in the world, and pledge ourselves to its service, now and for the future.”
The King, in a written message in the Order of Service, had asked the “family” of 56 nations to unite, saying: “The Commonwealth’s ability to bring together people from all over the world has stood the test of time and remains as ever-important today.”
“In these uncertain times,” he added, “where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship.”
That friendship was on display throughout the one-hour-long service.
The Princess Royal was seen shifting in her seat as Joan Armatrading played, as close to dancing as she is likely to get in Westminster Abbey.
The Waleses smiled broadly as they got into the rhythm and spirit of the traditional dance and music on display from Masai Cultural Arts.
A group of chanting protesters held their yellow “Not My King” banners outside, joined by a new mascot: a 15ft-tall dinosaur puppet they named Chuck the Rex.
The Royal family arrived at the abbey in reverse order of seniority: the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Princess Royal, the Waleses, with the King and Queen – wearing a soft pink wool crepe and satin coat dress by Fiona Clare and matching beret hat by Philip Treacy – last to make their way down a line-up of notable Commonwealth dignitaries ahead of the ceremony.
Prince William and Catherine, who had been making cheerful small talk with Auntie Anne, walked towards the King and Queen to greet them with a double kiss and curtsey, in the Princess’s case.
As God Save the King rang out, they walked up the aisle and took their seats among their staff, Commonwealth leaders and guests who have supported the organisation over the years, including the former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, the cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and Baroness Benjamin, the peer and former children’s presenter.
The Dean of Westminster said in his bidding: “We gather, in this house of prayer, to rejoice in our common life. We are God’s people in a Commonwealth of Nations.
‘Resilience and strength’
“As different peoples we rejoice in this opportunity to reflect, in mutual respect, on our shared dignity and commitment to the service of others. We celebrate the love and affection that binds us in unity and gives us resilience and strength.”
The arriving congregation heard the pulsating drumming of Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, a Hindu Scottish pipe band in tartan dress and kilts based in north-west London.
Britain’s Got Talent 2015 semi-finalists, the violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason and his sister Jeneba accompanying on piano, performed Deep River by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, arranged by their brother, the Royal wedding cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
Baroness Scotland, secretary-general of the Commonwealth, said the Act of Affirmation, which included the words: “United in kinship and common purpose, we cherish the rich tapestry of thought, culture, tradition and experience which strengthens our bonds.”
‘Enduring spirit’
This year’s Commonwealth Day theme is Together We Thrive, which celebrates the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family”.
As the service finished, the Royal family walked back through the abbey, catching people’s eyes and smiling with Orders of Service tucked under their arms.
The Princess of Wales, as is her habit, stopped to make a quick remark to school students.
The King went off to launch the Commonwealth Games baton relay, before rejoining the Queen at the Commonwealth Day Reception that evening.
Business as usual, in other words. It was easy to forget they had ever been away.
